


Cravings

by miera



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: F/M, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-09
Updated: 2008-03-09
Packaged: 2017-11-05 03:58:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/402201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miera/pseuds/miera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cameron visits Atlantis and brings a present for Elizabeth from Jack. Much flirting ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cravings

**Author's Note:**

> This is in my happy little mental place where Elizabeth got nothing more than a concussion in "First Strike" and Teyla's a free agent. Written because I am having terrible food cravings and felt I needed some silly, fluffy fic filled with flirting today.

The gate came alive right on time and Elizabeth merely nodded when Chuck confirmed the IDC as Stargate Command. She went down the stairs to greet their guest, not surprised when John appeared from the corridor and joined her. While he eschewed a lot of formalities of military protocol, when someone came from Earth, he was always with her if he was in Atlantis.

She was slightly surprised when a couple large pallets came through the wormhole first, guided by a few of their Marines who were returning from leave. To her knowledge they hadn't been expecting any supplies, and behind her a babbling of speculation broke out up in the control room.

Behind the Marines was Cameron Mitchell.

Now that Atlantis was settled on her new home world, the Pentagon had decided it would be wise to provide some more defensive capabilities in the city than hoping they had a functioning ZPM for the shield. And the puddle jumpers, while highly useful, weren't really intended for combat. The Daedalus had just provided Atlantis with a single squadron of F-303s, the newest of the hybrid craft to come out of Area 51. Which was all well and good, but Major Lorne was the most up to date on this technology and he hadn't flown a 303 before.

So Cameron Mitchell was going to stay in Atlantis for a couple of weeks as sort of a combined training mission and vacation, at least according to General Landry. Elizabeth privately thought Daniel was going to be spitting nails that Cameron got to go hang out in Atlantis for two weeks while he had been dragged off-world by Vala yet again.

Colonel Mitchell had a bag over one shoulder and he nodded to her, "Dr. Weir."

"Colonel, welcome back. You seem to have packed rather extensively for a visit." Elizabeth was a little proud of herself that she got that joke out there before John could do it.

Cameron grinned. "Well I do like to match my outfits and my shoes, but these are from General O'Neill. And he ordered me to give you this." He handed her a white envelope.

It was obviously a greeting card. Confused, Elizabeth opened it. She felt her cheeks turning bright red as she read the writing inside.

"Elizabeth?" John prompted, nosy as ever.

She ignored him and went to one of the pallets. There were boxes stacked up underneath the plastic wrapping, all marked perishable. She glanced at John, "Can I borrow your knife?"

Cameron looked amused, like he knew what was coming. John handed her the pocketknife he always carried.

She tore open the plastic and then slit open a box. Then she closed her eyes and started shaking her head. She was either going to smack Jack O'Neill or kiss him, and she wasn't sure which one.

Then she started to laugh.

She stepped back and John immediately leaned closer, then shot her a look. "Dove bars? General O'Neill sent us two cases of Dove bars?"

"One chocolate, one vanilla," Cameron waved. He grinned at her. "Happy Birthday, Dr. Weir."

"Elizabeth," John pouted slightly, taking his knife back. "I thought I was the only one who knew about your birthday."

She gave him a mock glare, then turned to Cameron. "I can't believe Jack did this."

Cameron shrugged. "Well, the Daedalus wasn't built for supply, and she doesn't have the capacity to transport this kind of thing, even if the brass thought it was necessary. Also General O'Neill said something about you really missing ice cream?"

Elizabeth flushed again. She remembered that conversation. It had been a while ago, back when she'd been recalled to be verbally abused by the IOA in the middle of the crisis where John, Rodney and Ronon had gone missing. Jack had eventually gotten her out of Cheyenne Mountain for a few hours, fed her Italian food and even though it had been the middle of winter she had insisted on going for ice cream. At the time Elizabeth had figured it was something of a last meal.

John and Cameron were both grinning and Elizabeth just rolled her eyes. She called up to Chuck to get someone to come put her birthday present away in the kitchens. Then she turned to the two irrepressible men standing in front of her. "John, why don't you show Colonel Mitchell to his quarters?" she said with deceptive politeness. Judging by the look John gave her, he wasn't buying it.

She was going to have her hands full with the two of them for the next couple of weeks. Elizabeth decided as she climbed the stairs back to her office that she was totally keeping a box of each of the Dove bars all for herself, and to hell with diplomacy and leading by example.

It was her birthday, after all.

 

***

 

Evan Lorne had served in some out of the way places in his life, so he was familiar with the way groups of people living in isolated areas reacted to surprises. Life in Atlantis, of course, was full of surprises, but they usually involved grave danger, mortal peril, or lots of running and shooting at things and not sleeping for days. The arrival of real, honest to God ice cream bars for dessert? That was a good surprise.

But even he was a little amazed at the level of excitement in the city that day. Of course, he and Colonel Sheppard had both been itching to get started with the 303s, and the arrival of the planes had already had people talking even before this, but that still didn't quite explain the enthusiasm in the expedition over some frozen sugar and cream.

He said as much to his companion as they walked to the mess hall. "Perhaps it is the revelation of Dr. Weir's birthday?" Teyla suggested. "I didn't know it was today myself."

"Me either. But apparently Colonel Sheppard knew." The leaders of Atlantis sometimes forgot that people listened avidly to their conversations, especially when they were held in public areas of the city. He was sure another round of gossip about Weir and Sheppard's unusually close relationship would surf along on that little revelation for a few days at least.

Teyla smiled enigmatically. "The Colonel has a way of finding things out."

Evan felt the tiniest hint of jealousy and thought maybe he should direct the conversation away from his CO. He knew there was nothing going on between Teyla and Sheppard, even though the during the weeks when the whole base wasn't convinced Sheppard and Weir were together, people believed it was because he was sleeping with Teyla. But Evan had been spending a lot of time with Teyla lately, and he was sure that the flirting wasn't something she'd be doing with him if she was seeing someone else.

Well, he was pretty sure.

Okay, he _hoped_ she was flirting with him on purpose rather than just being polite.

He really needed to just sac up and ask her out. Officially.

Eating dinner with her had started by happy accident, and Evan had found himself more or less planning his daily schedule around being in the mess at the same time Teyla was usually there. It wasn't as often as he'd have liked, given that they were both going off-world on missions, but in the nearly three weeks this had been going on, she hadn't once turned him down when he joined her. Although there had been that one weird moment when she was eating with Ronon and the big guy had given him a _look_ when he sat down. It had felt ridiculously junior high school, really.

Of course, Teyla made him feel like a teenager sometimes. He didn't remember the last time he "liked a girl" this much before going on an actual date.

The mess hall was busier than usual, for obvious reasons. They had to wait in line for a bit to get their food, and at the end of the line, the staff was doling out the ice cream bars. One per person only. The military had the process of rationing down to a science. Everyone on base would get a certain portion of whatever the hot item of the week was and no more. Even people who didn't like whatever it was would usually claim it in order to use for trading purposes.

Evan had no intention of passing this one up, though. He hadn't had ice cream in ages.

He and Teyla maneuvered towards an open table, and he spotted Colonel Sheppard sitting with Dr. Weir and Colonel Mitchell. She was facing the two of them and Evan silently wished her luck. Sheppard was the most unconventional CO Evan had ever had, but Mitchell seemed like he could give him a run for his money.

***

The chocolate ice cream bar was sitting temptingly at the edge of her tray. But Elizabeth dutifully ate her meatloaf (the Pegasus equivalent thereof, anyway), her green beans and the yam-like root vegetable they traded for on Cembria. All the while she was thinking she could practically hear her mother's voice in her head, admonishing her six year old self that she had to eat her supper before she got dessert.

John had chosen a vanilla Dove bar, possibly just to be contrary. Cameron's tray, however, was conspicuously lacking in frozen desserts. "You didn't get any ice cream, Colonel?"

He dodged the question with a small smile. "You can call me Cameron, doctor."

Out of Cameron's peripheral vision, John rolled his eyes a little. She smiled back at the other man, not letting him off the hook, "Elizabeth. And what, you don't like ice cream?"

He shifted in his seat a little awkwardly. "Well, I can hit the grocery store or the Baskin Robbins any time I want."

That was true. And it was polite of him not to take any of their limited supplies that way. Her admiration must have shown on her face because Cameron actually flushed a little.

John started to say something and stopped so he could swallow whatever he'd been chewing (after she glared), before reminding her of that chocolate-looking drink on the one planet that had turned out to taste like turnips.

Cameron came back with a story about eating something he swore came from rodents' milk.

Elizabeth finished her not-yams, smothering her grin. She knew if she pointed out what they were doing, they'd both deny it and probably get self-conscious. And while part of her knew it wasn't exactly liberated, she was enjoying herself too damn much to make them stop.

After all, it had been a long time since two very handsome men had engaged in the time-honored sport of competitive flirting just to impress her.

***

Evan knew Teyla didn't have that much of a sweet tooth. She was a big fan of popcorn and other salty things the expedition brought from Earth – which they usually had more of than sweets anyway because popcorn was a lot easier to pack and store. But she'd never eaten ice cream before, and he was honestly curious how she would like it.

The Dove bar was in a perfect state by the time he got done with his meal. Not melted enough to be dripping, but the chocolate coating had softened enough for him to bite without shattering it all over the place. At the first taste, for a moment he was back home, sitting at a picnic table with his family on a summer evening.

He realized Teyla was watching him with amusement as the grin spread over his face. He couldn't help it, though. He swallowed and licked his lips for emphasis. "Man, it's been a long time since I had one of these."

"I had no idea this food was so important to your people."

Evan licked at a small blob of chocolate ice cream before it fell. "I think it's more the denial. We can get a lot of stuff from Earth here but this is one of the things that just won't travel well. But it's also kind of a traditional food for summer time and certain things."

Teyla opened the plastic package and examined the bar. She darted a glance at him, and lowered her voice uncertainly. "Do you just... bite?"

He ignored the smirk that tried to surface. "Yeah, you kind of have to, to get started." He didn't say anything about licking afterwards. He didn't trust himself.

He watched her take her first bite, telling himself that he was just observing and not paying exorbitant attention to her mouth. Teyla, ever careful, had daintily nibbled off one corner, but she still had to hold up her other hand to catch a stray piece of the chocolate coating that fell off and towards her lap.

He raised his eyebrows as she weighed the dessert in her mouth. "Good?"

"I have never tasted anything quite like this," she admitted, going in for a much larger bite.

Evan grinned.

***

The chocolate coating melted smoothly over her tongue, followed by the cool sensation of the ice cream filling her mouth. Even knowing objectively that it was just the triggering of endorphins cascading through her nervous system, Elizabeth let out an involuntary little sigh as her body hummed happily.

They had chocolate in the city. God bless the US military's half-century old belief that chocolate bars were a necessary part of rations. But the combination of sugar and cream and chocolate all wrapped up together was unique and it had been so long since she'd had any.

It wasn't until she heard a discreet cough that she realized her eyes had closed in sheer bliss.

John and Cameron were both smirking at her across the table. She blushed at the knowing looks on their faces.

John, of course, was grinning at her around a mouthful of his own ice cream, and in that way that made her want to just stick her tongue out at him or do something equally juvenile.

Cameron, possibly taking advantage of John being unable to speak, just raised his eyebrows and asked rather suggestively, "Elizabeth, would you like us to leave you alone?"

She was going to blame the chocolate and sugar-induced euphoria for the fact that she decided to fight fire with fire. Deliberately, she flicked her tongue out to catch a drip of melted ice cream before it fell, and was rewarded with the slightly arrested looks on both their faces.

She raised an eyebrow back at Cameron. "What fun would that be?" she asked devilishly.

***

Evan wasn't good at drawing faces or people, really. He was much better with inanimate objects, which was why he usually stuck with landscapes and still-lifes when he actually did try to draw or paint anything.

That hadn't stopped him from trying to sketch people. He'd figured out back in college that it was an easy way to impress women.

Looking at the expression on Teyla's face, he wanted badly to try drawing her for real, just so he could capture that look of utter joy, so he would remember it.

He tore his attention away from her – which wasn't easy for either the artist's perspective in his head or the guy's, since she was rather liberally using her tongue – just in time to see melted ice cream dripping onto his fingers. He switched the ice cream to his other hand and stuck his fingers in his mouth.

Off Teyla's look, he explained, "Sticky." Except his fingers were still in his mouth so it came out rather muffled and he cracked up. Teyla ducked her head, laughing with him.

He rather noisily pulled his index finger free and repeated, "Ice cream is sticky when it..."

He didn't finish the sentence because her eyes were still on his mouth. Hope and heat flooded through him. Dear God please let me not be interpreting this wrong, he thought.

The silence broke through her concentration and she looked away. He thought she looked almost bashful. There were a lot of words he associated with Teyla, beginning with "beautiful" and ending with "gorgeous" (not to mention smart and strong) and the idea of her being in any way _shy_ had never even entered his head.

Oh man, what if she'd been waiting all this time for him to make the first move? He'd been so afraid of offending her, of misinterpreting the signals...

Teyla brought her ice cream to her lips and almost delicately flicked her tongue out and gathered some of the chocolate. She looked at him and their eyes locked. Without looking away, she repeated the action.

His heart began to race. That wasn't just a signal. That was freakin' skywriting.

He swallowed hard as they both looked down. When he looked back at her, he thought her cheeks looked kind of pink, like she was blushing.

He really didn't know nearly enough about her, he realized in that moment. But he wanted to know everything.

"So, um, did you have any plans tonight?" he blurted, before he could lose his nerve.

"I was planning to do some reading before meditating," Teyla said demurely, but the smile on her face was absolutely radiant. "Why do you ask?"

Evan finished off the Dove bar. "I was thinking I could maybe try to explain the importance of ice cream in Earth culture for you."

She licked a drop of chocolate off the corner of her mouth and grinned. "I would like that."


End file.
